Hospital workers had been subject to ‘a barrage of highly abusive and threatening language and behaviour’ in person, via phone and online, while there were reports of unauthorised members of the public attempting to enter the hospital.

‘Having to carry on our usual day-to-day work in a hospital that has required a significant police presence just to keep our patients, staff and visitors safe is completely unacceptable,’ the hospital’s chairman, Sir David Henshaw, and chief executive Louise Shepherd said in an open letter.

Merseyside Police issued a warning that it was monitoring posts online and that any ‘malicious communications or threatening behaviour’ will be investigated and could lead to action.

Some have described the battle to keep him alive as a religious war (Picture: AFP)

His parents say that life support should be maintained for the youngster (Picture: Alfie’s Army/Facebook)

Doctors stopped providing life-support treatment late on Monday after Alfie’s parents had lost two rounds of fights in the High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights.

But the couple, who want Alfie to be flown to a Rome hospital, mounted a ‘one last chance’ challenge on Wednesday.